Wolfgang Tonne
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Tonne was a German
former Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
during World War II
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
in 1937 as an officer cadet. Tonne was posted to 3./Jagdgeschwader 53
(JG 53) on 6 December 1939. Leutnant Tonne achieved his first aerial victory against a Royal Air Force
(RAF) Bristol Blenheim
twin-engined bomber over Sedan
on 14 May 1940. Later the same day, he was shot down near Bouillon
. He bailed out landing in enemy territory. However, he returned safely to his own lines, uninjured.
Over England
and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941. On 1 July, Tonne was appointed Adjutant of I./JG 53. Tonne participated in the invasion of Russia. In June and July 1941, he scored eight further victories.
In December 1941, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre
. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän
of 3./JG 53. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta
, without adding to his victory total, before being transferred back to the Eastern front
.
From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft in the Russian theatre
. Oberleutnant
Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on 6 September 1942 following his 54th victory. The Oak Leaves were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories.
In November 1942, Tonne led 3./JG 53 to North Africa
. He gained his first victory in this theatre on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) P-38 Lightning
twin-engine fighter. He specialised in shooting down Supermarine Spitfire
fighters claiming ten of the type in a short time. Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia
. Wolfgang Tonne was killed in a flying accident caused in the attempt to celebrate his 122nd victory over the airfield at Protville, Tunisia on 20 April 1943 in his Messerschmitt Bf 109
G-6 (Werknummer 16523—factory number).
Wolfgang Tonne was credited with 122 victories in 641 missions. He scored 26 victories over the Western Front
, including 16 Supermarine Spitfire
. 10 of his 96 victories claimed over the Eastern front were Il-2 Sturmoviks
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
former Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
World War II
Wolfgang Tonne joined the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in 1937 as an officer cadet. Tonne was posted to 3./Jagdgeschwader 53
Jagdgeschwader 53
Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik-As was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean.Jagdgeschwader 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" Geschwader - was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to 1937...
(JG 53) on 6 December 1939. Leutnant Tonne achieved his first aerial victory against a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
twin-engined bomber over Sedan
Sedan, France
Sedan is a commune in France, a sub-prefecture of the Ardennes department in northern France.-Geography:The historic centre is built on a peninsula formed by an arc of the Meuse River. It is around from the Belgian border.-History:...
on 14 May 1940. Later the same day, he was shot down near Bouillon
Bouillon
Bouillon is a municipality in Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Luxembourg Province.The municipality, which covers 149.09 km², had 5,477 inhabitants, giving a population density of 36.7 inhabitants per km².- History :...
. He bailed out landing in enemy territory. However, he returned safely to his own lines, uninjured.
Over England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941. On 1 July, Tonne was appointed Adjutant of I./JG 53. Tonne participated in the invasion of Russia. In June and July 1941, he scored eight further victories.
In December 1941, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre
Mediterranean Theatre of World War II
The African, Mediterranean and Middle East theatres encompassed the naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allied and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Africa...
. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of 3./JG 53. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, without adding to his victory total, before being transferred back to the Eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
.
From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft in the Russian theatre
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 6 September 1942 following his 54th victory. The Oak Leaves were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories.
In November 1942, Tonne led 3./JG 53 to North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. He gained his first victory in this theatre on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
twin-engine fighter. He specialised in shooting down Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighters claiming ten of the type in a short time. Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Wolfgang Tonne was killed in a flying accident caused in the attempt to celebrate his 122nd victory over the airfield at Protville, Tunisia on 20 April 1943 in his Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
G-6 (Werknummer 16523—factory number).
Wolfgang Tonne was credited with 122 victories in 641 missions. He scored 26 victories over the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
, including 16 Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. 10 of his 96 victories claimed over the Eastern front were Il-2 Sturmoviks
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
.
Awards
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 August 1941)
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (21 August 1942) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939) 2nd and 1st class - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
with Oak Leaves- Knight's Cross on 6 September 1942 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
and StaffelkapitänStaffelkapitänStaffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of the 3./JG 53 - 128th Oak Leaves on 24 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./JG 53
- Knight's Cross on 6 September 1942 as Oberleutnant